TELL KIDS THE TRUTH

It is good policy to teach kids things they later find are true.
Otherwise, the word spreads and the "teachers" earn disrespect. Kids'
respect for official anti-drug policy was destroyed years ago by
teaching kids that smoking pot leads to hard drugs -i.e., the
"gateway effect." Today, the only kids who say they believe that
would never try pot anyhow or are just telling their elders what the
kids think they want to hear. Now our "teachers" are telling us that
drug offenses are the gateway to international terrorism; that if you
smoke pot, you are helping terrorists. Who believes that?

I suggest we try to regain some credibility, stop insulting kids'
intelligence and teach them the truth, warts and all. Tell them the
government knows that 90 percent of illegal drug tonnage is consumed
by addicts, that no addict is going to quit because of a Super Bowl
ad and that half of all addicts seeking treatment are turned away
because they have no money. Then tell them the government cuts
funding for drug treatment and uses part of the saving for a Super
Bowl ad.

JOHN CHASE, Palm Harbor